The dangers of unbiblical "breathing exercises", mantra's, "centering"

SOME THOUGHTS on MYSTICISM

-by Eddie Hyatt.



In a recent church gathering, a well-known evangelical pastor led his congregation in a "breathing" exercise in which they were exhorted to take "nice, big, deep breaths." He explained that such breathing exercises, meditation, reflection, and silence have been central to the Christian tradition for thousands of years.

He then sought to buttress his argument by pointing out, "In Yoga, one of the central tenets is that your breath needs to remain the same regardless of pose. And the Yoga Masters say this is how you follow Jesus and surrender to God."



[i] Pastor Rob Bell is typical of many today looking to medieval mystics (and to Eastern forms of mysticism) in their search for spiritual reality. But while many medieval mystics can be admired for their passion and devotion, they cannot be followed in many of their doctrines and experiences.

They often exhibit a glaring lack of discernment and common sense because they are loyal to the medieval church and share in its lax (and sometimes hostile) attitude toward Scripture. So, while some of their experiences are, no doubt, genuine, many are obviously psychic, and some are probably demonic. Basically, these practices take you to an Altered State of Consciousness.

Commenting on medieval mysticism and its neglect of Scripture, Dr. Hans Kung, the most widely read Catholic theologian in the world today, says, These new revelations not only overshadowed the Bible and the Gospel but also Him whom the Gospel proclaims and to whom the Bible bears witness.

It is striking how rarely Christ appeared in all these "revelations," "apparitions," and "wonders." Catholics who followed in the wake of every new "revelation," which often turned out to be fantasy or deceit, indulged their desire for sensation by looking for the latest reports of miracles-and yet who had never once in their whole lives read the Scriptures from cover to cover.

[ii] The Origins of Mysticism Medieval mysticism arose in reaction to the lifeless, outward forms of the medieval church. During the same period, evangelical revival groups also emerged for similar reasons. But whereas the revival groups, such as the Waldenses and Albigneses, gave their loyalties to the Scriptures and looked there for models of faith and spirituality, the mystics tended to give allegiance to the pope and the institutional church.[iii] This meant that the mystics were more susceptible to non-Biblical approaches to spirituality, resulting in their adoption of many beliefs and practices rooted in pagan, mystical thought, particularly Neoplatonism.

To READ MORE-

http://www.biblicalawakening.blogspot.com/

[i] www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/robbelltranscript.doc

[ii] Hans Kung, The Church (Garden City, NY: Image Books, 1976), 257-58.

[iii] See my book, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity (Lake

Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2002) for a more thorough discussion

of this issue.

--

MODERATOR:
Andrew Strom,

32 Coleridge Cres,

Killay,

Swansea, SA2 7DJ, UK

Traci Morin

Touch of God International Ministries of Healing and Deliverance - Setting the Captives Free. 

Former Witch Exposes Harry Potter

by Pastor David J. Meyer

Website: https://www.touchofgod.org
Join us for Prayer and Intercession

What Does God Have To Say?
I am writing this urgent message because I was once a witch. I lived by the stars as an astrologer and numerologist casting horoscopes and spells. I lived in the mysterious and shadowy realm of the occult. By means of spells and magic, I was able to invoke the powers of the "controlling unknown" and fly upon the night winds transcending the astral plane. Halloween was my favorite time of the year and I was intrigued and absorbed in the realm of Wiccan witchcraft. All of this was happening in the decade of the 1960s when witchcraft was just starting to come out of the broom closet.

It was during that decade of the 1960s, in the year 1966, that a woman named J. K. Rowling was born. This is the woman who has capti! voted the world in the year 2000 with four books known as the "Harry Potter Series." These books are orientational and instructional manuals of witchcraft woven into the format of entertainment. These four books by J. K. Rowling teach witchcraft! I know this because I was once very much a part of that world.

Witchcraft was very different in the 1960s. There were a lot fewer witches, and the craft was far more secretive. At the end of that spiritually troubled decade, I was miraculously saved by the power of Jesus Christ and His saving blood. I was also delivered from every evil spirit that lived in me and was set free. However, as I began to attend fundamental Christian churches, I realized that even their witchcraft had left its mark. Pagan holidays and sabbats were celebrated as "Christian holidays."

As time went on, I watched the so-called "Christian" churches compromising and unifying. I also watched with amazement as teachings from Eastern religions and "New Age" doctrine began to captivate congregations. It was a satanic set-up, and I saw it coming. Illuministic conspirators were bringing forth a one-world religion with a cleverly concealed element of occultism interwoven in its teachings.

In order to succeed in bringing witchcraft to the world and thus complete satanic control, an entire generation would have to be induced and taught to think like witches, talk like witches, dress like witches, and act like witches. The occult songs of the 1960s launched the Luciferian project of capturing the minds of an entire generation. In the song "Sound Of Silence" by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, we were told of seeds that were left while an entire generation was sleeping, and that the "vision that was planted in my brain Still remains."

Now it is the year 2000. All of the foundations for occultism and witchcraft are in place. The Illuminists have to move quickly because time is running out.

It was the Communist revolutionary Lenin who said, "Give me one generation of youth, and I will transform the entire world." Now an entire generation of youth has been given to a woman named J.K. Rowling and her four books on witchcraft, known as the Harry Potter Series.

As a former witch, I can speak with authority when I say that I have examined the works of Rowling and that the Harry Potter books are training manuals for the occult. Untold millions of young people are being taught to think, speak, dress and act like witches by filling their heads with the contents of these books. Children are obsessed with the Harry Potter books that they have left television and video games to read these witchcraft manuals.

The first book of the series, entitled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", finds the orphan, Harry Potter, embarking into a new realm when he is taken to "Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." At this occult school, Harry Potter learns how to obtain and use witchcraft equipment. Harry also learns a new vocabulary, including words such as "Azkaban", "Circe", "Draco", "Erised", "Hermes", and "Slytherin"; all of which are names of real devils or demons. These are not characters of fiction!

How serious is this? By reading these materials, many millions of young people are learning how to work with demon spirits. They are getting to know them by! name. Vast numbers of children professing to be Christians are also filling their hearts and minds, while willingly ignorant parents look the other way.

The titles of the books should be warning enough to make us realize how satanic and anti-christ these books are. The aforementioned title of the first book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", was a real giveaway. The second book was called "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", while the third book was entitled "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

Sadly enough, this blatant witchcraft has been endorsed by well-known and respected "Christian" leaders, such as Dr. James Dobson and Chuck Colson, who have proven themselves to be modern-day Judas Iscariots. Nothing could be more obvious than that Harry Potter books are pure witchcraft and of the devil. The "Christian" leaders, however, defend them by saying that good magic always wins and overcomes evil magic.

This is the oldest con game ever hatched out of hell. As a real witch, I learned about the two sides of "the force." Apparently, so do many "Christian" leaders. When real witches have sabbats and esbats and meet as a coven, they greet each other by saying "Blessed be", and when they part, they say "The Force be with you." Both sides of this "Force" are Satan. It is not a good side of it! the force that overcomes the bad side of the force, but rather it's the blood of Jesus Christ that destroys both supposed sides of the satanic "Force."

High-level witches believe that there are seven satanic princes and that the seventh, which is assigned to Christians, has no name. In coven meetings, he is called "the nameless one." In the Harry Potter books, there is a character called "Voldemort." The pronunciation guide says of this being "He who must not be named."

On July 8 at midnight, bookstores everywhere were stormed by millions of children to obtain the latest and fourth book of! the series is known as "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." These books were taken into homes everywhere with a real evil spirit following each copy to curse those homes. July 8th was also the 18th day (three sixes in numerology) from the witches' sabat of midsummer. July 8th was also the 13th day from the signing of the United Religions Charter in San Francisco. Now we have learned that the public school system is planning to use the magic of Harry Potter in the classrooms making the public schools centers of witchcraft training.

What does God have to say about such books as the Harry Potter series? In the Bible in the book of Acts, we read the following in the 19th chapter, verses 18 - 20: "And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. M! any of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed."

As parents, we will answer to God if we allow our children to read witchcraft books. The Word of God will prevail mightily in your life only if such things of Satan are destroyed. This tract has been prayed over, and I hope it has helped you. If we may be of further assistance, please contact us.

Pastor David J. Meyer
Published by:
Last Trumpet Ministries International
PO Box 806
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
END

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H! arry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged - Making Evil Look Innocent
It is surprising that there is any controversy about the Harry Potter series when author J.K. Rowling openly presents blatant Witchcraft, Satanism and pagan mythology.

Unfortunately, because many don't recognize occult symbolism, or understand Witchcraft, thousands of young readers, by inference, are led to accept them as whimsical and harmless, aided by Rowling's repackaging of Witchcraft in probably its most dangerous form - children's fantasy literature.

Does Witchcraft actually have power, and if so what is its source? And, does Rowling's presentation make Witchcraft any more acceptable?
Rowling's "Harry Potter" presents all of the following elements of Witchcraft: Mother Goddess, evolution, reincarnation, communing with the dead and spirit world, seasonal nature celebrations, sorcery, divination, spells, curses, meditation, occult symbology, black magic, demon possession, "dark" aspects of Witchcraft, and more.

Young readers today, more than any other time in history, have an abundance of occult resources easily available to them. The Harry Potter series clearly teaches young children how to become! e witches and warlocks and brings them into the new age occult world of the Luciferian illuminist, and schools them in the devil's occult craft.

The June 2000, issue of the Last Trumpet reported that Dr. James Dobson and his respected mainstream "Focus on the Family" organization has endorsed the witchcraft training manuals known as the Harry Potter books. Dobson's reasoning is that these books teach the good and bad forces, and that good always wins.

If you get the chance tell this to Dr. James Dobson and other "so-called" or "used to be" Christians, who will not BOLDLY stand AGAINST the damnable Harry Potter series:

Mat 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which belief in me, it were better for him that a millstone was hanged about his neck, and that he was drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mat 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Every parent and teacher should be outraged about the damnable effects that the Harry Potter series will have to their children, grandchildren, and concerned friends.

By Traci Morin, Touch of God International Ministries, a Christian Healing and Deliverance Ministry, Spiritual Warfare Prayer setting captives free from demonic torment and sickness and disease. 

Other Articles

• What is the Occult

• Breaking Generational Curses

• Breaking Poverty Mindset

• Why Christians Complicate Deliverance?

• Why Demons do not expel

• A warfare prayer to fight off spiritual witchcraft attacks

• What is the difference between Division and Divine Inspiration?

• Exposing the truth of Yoga and why, even if they call it Christian Yoga, cannot be Christian

• A closer look at new age meditation and the risks of infestation

• Uncovering the Truth about Kaballah -

• Stopping the seducing spirit of Jezebel

• The Power of Deliverance that Breaks the Chains that is holding you back

• Familiar Spirits are not your friend

• Signs there is demonic intrusion in your home

• How to do a Home Cleansing Ritual from Demonic Intrusion?

• Home Cleansing Prayer

• Asmodeus Destroyer of Men - Lust Demon

• The Seven Biblical Curses Listed in the Bible

• Kundalini Awakening Symptoms - Overview of Kundalini

• Breaking Self-Imposed Curses Over Yourself?

• Examples of Arrested Development Disorder - You may need deliverance

• The Origins of Halloween and Why Christians Should Not Celebrate Hallo

• What does the bible say about forgiveness - Define Biblical Forgiveness

• List of Sexual Sins

• Do you have a deaf and dumb spirit on you?

• Can the Enemy Read your Mind?

• Explain the Law of Attraction and why It is Not Biblical?

• What is it and Exposing the Spirit of Baal

• Learn the Origion of Reflexology and Don't do it

• What are other portals and gates?

• You don't want anyone tapping your forhead since it opens up the 3rd eyes and so does wrong type of meditation

• Exposing the roots of biofeedback

• Pray against the Python Spirit

• Exposing Contemplative Prayer of New Age Sneaked Into the Church

• Are there real vampires around us?

• How to break mind control

• Four types of curses

• Exposing the Roots of Reiki - It is an energy healing (demonic)

• Seven principalities of the air

• Indian Curses

• Exposing the movement of the new age medicine

• Praying to the Dead is Necromancy

• Learn how deceptive soaking prayer is?

• The Dangers of Theophostic Prayer - Learn its roots

• Learn the Truth of Theophostic Prayer

• Learn the meaning of doublemindedness and why a person struggles with it?

• Plagued by Incubus or Succubus spirits at night?

• False Burden Bearing - Stop Carrying the Weight and Why Some Struggle with It?

• The Spirit of Heaviness and Oppression - You may need deliverance

• What is a spiritual stronghold

• Removing Spiritual Strongholds of the Mind

• Prayers to Break Strongholds of the Mind

• Asmodeus Destroyer of Men - Lust Demon

• Are you accident-prone? Learn why

• 12 Causes of Afflictions

• Doterra Oils - Not God's Way to Heal

• Cranial Sacral Therapy is Based on New Age God Aka

• Explanation of a Bastard Curse and How it Affects Your Life

• The Dangers of Breathing Exercises during Mantras

• Learn How Inner Vows and Judgments are Powerful and Set Negative Things in Motion

• What is Silva Mind Control?

• The Truth behind Mardi Gras

• Why Christians should not read Harry Potter Books

• See How Easter Came About and Perverted the Ressurection of Christ

• Understand the Spiritual Roots of Dungeon and Dragons

• Should we pray to Mary? What does the bible say?

• Understanding the Universal Energies of the New Age Movement

• Applied Kinesiology Debunked

• Acupuncture Debunked

• Aromatherapy Oils Therapy

• Magnetic Therapy

• What Does the Bible say about medium

• History of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

• Homeopathy History

• History of Karate

• Tae Kwon Do History

• Is Feng Shui Evil?

• Tai Chi for Christians?

• Acupressure Roots

• Chinese Medicine

• Christian Spiritual Warfare Prayer Against Witchcraft

• Five Steps to Self Deliverance Scriptures

• Prayers to pray over your children going to college

• Combating Witchcraft Attacks and Curses

• Silver Cords and Ley Lines - what are they?

The Origin of Christmas

Learn The Origin Of Christmas

Christmas Origin Pagan

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Learn the dark truth about Christmas is a holiday shared and celebrated by many religions. It is a day that has an effect on the entire world.

To many people, it is a favorite time of the year involving gift giving, parties and feasting. Christmas is a holiday that unifies almost all of professing Christendom.

The spirit of Christmas causes people to decorate their homes and churches, cut down trees and bring them into their homes, decking them with silver and gold.

In the light of that tree, families make merry and give gifts one to another.

When the sun goes down on December 24th, and darkness covers the land, families and churches prepare for participation in customs such as burning the yule log, singing around the decorated tree, kissing under the mistletoe and holly, and attending a late night service or midnight mass.

What is the meaning of Christmas? Where did the customs and traditions originate?

You, as a Christian, would want to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth, discerning good from evil.

The truth is that all of the customs of Christmas pre-date the birth of Jesus Christ, and a study of this would reveal that
Christmas in our day is a collection of traditions and practices taken from many cultures and nations.

The date of December 25th comes from Rome and was a celebration of the Italic god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god.

This was done long before the birth of Jesus.

It was noted by the pre-Christian Romans and other pagans, that daylight began to increase after December 22nd, when they assumed that the sun god died.

These ancients believed that the sun god rose from the dead three days later as the new-born and venerable sun.

Thus, they figured that to be the reason for increasing daylight.

This was a cause for much wild excitement and celebration. Gift giving and merriment filled the temples of ancient Rome, as sacred priests of Saturn, called dendrophori, carried wreaths of evergreen boughs in procession.

In Germany, the evergreen tree was used in worship and celebration of the yule god, also in observance of the resurrected sun god.

The evergreen tree was a symbol of the essence of life and was regarded as a phallic symbol in fertility worship.

Witches and other pagans regarded the red holly as a symbol of the menstrual blood of the queen of heaven, also known as Diana.

The holly wood was used by witches to make wands.

The white berries of mistletoe were believed by pagans to represent droplets of the semen of the sun god.

Both holly and mistletoe were hung in doorways of temples and homes to invoke powers of fertility in those who stood beneath and kissed, causing the spirits of the god and goddess to enter them.

These customs transcended the borders of Rome and Germany to the far reaches of the known world.

The question now arises: How did all of these customs find their way into contemporary Christianity, ranging from Catholicism to Protestantism to fundamentalist churches?

The word "Christmas"itself reveals who married paganism to Christianity.

The word "Christmas" is a combination of the words "Christ" and "Mass.

The word "Mass" means death and was coined originally by the Roman Catholic Church, and belongs exclusively to the church of Rome.

The ritual of the Mass involves the death of Christ, and the distribution of the "Host", a word taken from the Latin word "hostiall" meaning victim!

In short, Christmas is strictly a Roman Catholic word.

A simple study of the tactics of the Romish Church reveals that in every case, the church absorbed the customs, traditions and general paganism of every tribe, culture and nation in their efforts to increase the number of people under their control.

In short, the Romish church told all of these pagan cultures, "Bring your gods, goddesses, rituals and rites, and we will assign Christian sounding titles and names to them.

When Martin Luther started the reformation on October 31st, 1517, and other reformers followed his lead, all of them took with them the paganism that was so firmly imbedded in Rome.

These reformers left Christmas intact.

In England, as the authorized Bible became available to the common people by the decree of King James the II in 1611, people began to discover the pagan roots of Christmas, which are clearly revealed in Scripture.

The Puritans in England, and later in Massachusetts Colony, outlawed this holiday as witchcraft.

Near the end of the nineteenth century, when other Bible versions began to appear, there was a revival of the celebration of Christmas.

We are now seeing ever-increasing celebrating of Christmas or Yule, its true name, as we draw closer to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In both witchcraft circles and contemporary Christian churches, the same things are going on.

As the Bible clearly states in Jeremiah 10:2-4, "Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen; and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven. For the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain. For one cutteth a tree out of the forest. The work of the hands of the workman with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold. They fasten it with nails and with hammers that it move not."

So, what is wrong with Christmas?

1. To say that Jesus was born on December 25th is a lie! The true date is sometime in September according to the Scriptures.

2. Trees, wreaths, holly, mistletoe and the like are strictly forbidden as pagan and heathen! To say that these are Christian or that they can be made Christian is a lie!

3. The Lord never spoke of commemorating his birth but rather commanded us to remember the sacrifice of His suffering and death, which purchased our salvation.

Think about it! Can we worship and honor God by involving ourselves with customs and traditions, which God Himself forbade as idolatry? Can we convince God to somehow "Christianize" these customs and the whole pretense and lie of Christmas, so we can enjoy ourselves? Can we obey through disobedience?

So what is right about Christmas? 1. Nothing!
For more information and documentation contact:

Last Trumpet Ministries International
PO Box 806
Beaver Dam, WI 53916

Traci Morin
Touch of God International Ministries - Healing and Deliverance - Setting Captives Free

Silva Mind Control 

(Silva Method)*Christian or New Age Mind Cult?
The Silva Method (formerly Silva Mind Control [SMC]) was developed by José
Silva. Over six million students in 71 countries have taken the Silva
International courses (formerly Silva Mind Control International). (One
Silva's goal is to have the Silva Method course taught to all

school children in grade school and college.) He claims that anyone taking his 48-hour (four-day) course will develop psychic powers. A student is shown how to enter an altered state of
consciousness and, in that state, is taught how to tap into "higher intelligence in the universe." The student is taught how to function psychically and clairvoyantly and invites counselors, or psychic guides, into his mind to help him with his problems. By the third day of the course, students are supposed to be able to operate psychically enough to project their awareness outside of their bodies, i.e., have out-of-body experiences. Their minds are believed to be able to tap into any source in the universe for information, including the minds of other men, alive or dead.

Silva's Method uses visualization and guided imagery quite heavily; both
have long been recognized by sorcerers as the most
powerful and effective methodology for contacting the spirit world to acquire supernatural power, knowledge, and healing. This sort of thing has been going on throughout history. It's known as "shamanism" or witchcraft. Yet, Silva claims that God sent Jesus to teach us all 
this!

Obviously, the Silva Method is little more than a New Age psychological
mind control technique rather than a cultic system of teaching with
readily identifiable followers. Nevertheless, it does have spiritual
underpinnings (see Silva's book Keys to the Kingdom), and it considers itself Christian in many ways. Below are the highlights of what Silva Mind Control/Silva Method teaches concerning its source of authority, Christ, sin, salvation, the Holy Spirit, and prayer:

1. Source of Authority. The authority for the Silva Method student is José
Silva and his official publication, THE SILVA METHOD.

2. Jesus Christ. The Silva Method teaches that Jesus did miracles in
the same way that the Silva Method teaches its students. The Bible
teaches that Jesus was not doing miracles by mind over matter. He did them by the power of His Father. Silva's Method fails to differentiate between
the miraculous, genuine supernatural power of God and that which man
attributes to his own mind, which is nothing more than the usurping of the
authority of God and trying to be little gods themselves.

Silva Method also teaches that "Rabbi Jesus was assigned by Almighty
God of the Universe to Planet Earth to teach humanity, in a step-by-step
procedure, how to look for and find what is called the kingdom of God
within us all. ... Jesus came to give us a message to correct the
problem of human development on this planet because Moses didn't do it and
Noah didn't do it, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob didn't ... Zoroaster, Krishna,
Buddha, Mohammed didn't do it. So Jesus finally came to straighten out
their mess and problem ..." Silva says that Jesus said that we are to go
into an alpha state (an altered state of consciousness) with our spirit
guides, thus gaining the psychic powers necessary to correct the human
situation. (Silva also says, "Jesus is not coming back, so we've got to
do it. But He gave us the keys; He gave us the message. Look inside;
find this power; you've got the power, and you can make Earth 'paradise
earth.'")

3. Sin. Silva denies original sin and sees only "problems to be
solved." Silva teaches that the present is a process of materializing
thoughts, while the future is composed of conceived thoughts not yet
materialized. He talks about being able to prophesy, a process of projecting into
thought patterns to see if we can detect information that can help us
solve problems. According to the Silva Method, this information is for
no other thing than for solving problems -- "to make this planet a
better world to live in. ... if you get information to solve problems, where
people are suffering, and you do alleviate that suffering and you
correct the problem, who cares where the information comes from? The idea is
to get it any way you can to stop a problem and forget everything else."
Silva's done away with the blood of Jesus Christ; he's done away with the
sacrificial death of Christ for our sins. According to the Silva
Method, it's not a sin problem anymore; it's ignorance!

4. Salvation. Since Silva believes that we have been sent to the planet
to solve problems (i.e., "to convert this planet into a paradise"),
salvation is earned by one's success in problem-solving. The emphasis is
one of total pragmatism. But just the fact that one is solving problems
does not answer whether an activity is right or pleasing to God. "Positive" results can occur through the occult or psychic worlds.

Being "born again" also has a unique meaning for Silva Method
practitioners: "When we enter the kingdom of heaven, once there, we become
centered and have access to the use of the right brain hemisphere ... This
would truly be the concept of being born again ... being 'born again.'
means, 'Go back and retrace your steps and use the right

brain hemisphere like you did when you were born.' ... when you
use both brain hemispheres, that is really being born again."
Silva sums up what salvation is not in the Silva Method: "Somebody who
died 1,900 years ago or 2,000 years ago, his blood cleansing us from sin
and so forth, that doesn't help solve problems today." Salvation for
Silva leads the lost away from the sacrifice of Christ for their sins
upon the cross. They don't need that anymore. All they require is alpha in
the right brain.

The message of the Silva Method is one of complete rejection of the
redemptive work of Jesus Christ upon the cross, i.e., a claim that we have
power within us. Silva overlooks the central problem of evil in the
human heart, the sinful nature of man, to which Jesus specifically said, "I
come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." One hears no
repentance from Silva, no acknowledgment of any real guilt. Instead,
it's just something that's a state of mind that you can get rid of by
going into your alpha level.

5. Holy Spirit. In the Silva Method, the Holy Spirit is a "dimension
that we can create -- a state of mind to enter it and make use of it for
problem-solving situations. ... We were sent to do a work for God --
help God with creation in thinking of His creatures."

Rather than the Holy Spirit as Counselor, on the third day of Silva
Method training, students are asked to pick two counselors. The lecturer
explains how to invoke them. In the last session, during meditation,
two counselors appear in the laboratory of the student's mind and are available from that point on whenever the student needs them.

 
Silva says that you consult your counselors anytime you find yourself with a problem and 

do not know what to do next: "They are here
to do the work for you; they are here to help you evolve ... become ...
as good as they are, whoever they are." This, of course, is spiritism;
and the nature of spiritism is ultimately demonic. One can hear the
same things from mediums and spiritists who talk to their advisors or
their spirit guides or counselors, all of which is prohibited by Scripture
(cf. Deut. 18).

6. Prayer. For Silva, praying is psychic -- the use of mind: "... we're
praying; we're using psychic systems to pray, to visualize ... imagine
what's to happen, and believe that you already have it and you shall
receive it." (Sounds like the "name-it-and-claim-it" teaching of the
Positive Confession movement.)

Touch of God International Ministries - a Christian Healing and Deliverance Ministry - setting captives free

THE HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

Why We Should Not Participate as Christians

"Mom, can I dress up like Casper this year? Dad, can we carve a jack-o-lantern and put it on the porch?"

Halloween...costume-clad children happily skipping from door to door shouting "trick or treat," expecting to fill their bags with candy, gum, and other goodies...houses decorated with jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, witches with broomsticks, and black cats. These are the most common of the celebration of Halloween. They are all make-believe...or are they?

Each year at Halloween, parents are faced with the dilemma of what the world calls harmless fun and their own concerns about the spiritual significance of this holiday. While we all have to hear God for ourselves concerning these decisions, we thought the following history might be helpful to you and your family.

Halloween, which directly stems from Irish, Scottish, and British folk customs, was celebrated as the Druids' autumn festival. The Druids were an order of priests who worshipped nature. This holiday was originally celebrated to honor Samhain, lord of the dead, on October 31 (the end of the summer). The Druids believed that on this date, Sambain called all the wicked souls that had been condemned within the last year to live in animal bodies. He was believed to have released them in the form of spirits, ghosts, fairies, witches, and elves.

According to Druidic tradition, these souls of the dead roamed the city on Halloween night and returned to haunt the homes where they once lived. The only way the current house occupants could free themselves from being haunted was to lay out food and give shelter to the spirit during the night. If they did not, the spirit would cast a spell on them. That is where the phrase "trick or treat" comes from: They would be tricked if they did not lay out a treat.

The jack-o-lantern was also a part of this belief system. The carved pumpkin symbolized a damned soul named Jack. According to the tale, Jack was not allowed into heaven or hell. So, he wandered around in the darkness with his lantern until Judgement Day. Fearful people hollowed out turnips (and later pumpkins in the United States), carved an evil face on them, and lit a candle inside to scare him and the other evil spirits away.

The Druids had other outlandish beliefs which have also turned into tradition. For example, they feared black cats because they believed that when a person committed evil, he would be turned into a cat. Cats were thus considered to be evil. To scare them away, the Druids decorated their homes with witches, ghosts, and the like. They were also adorned with cornstalks, pumpkins, and other goods of thanks and praise to their false gods.

In addition to Halloween, October 31 was the New Year's Eve of the Celts and Anglo-Saxons. To celebrate, they built huge bonfires on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. They often offered their crops and animals to the evil ones as sacrifices - sometimes, they even provided themselves.

Some people believe that the only significant part of Halloween is All Hallow's Eve, the evening before All Saint's Day. The Catholic Church initially celebrated All Saint's Day in May. About A.D. 83-4, the Romans conquered the Celts and moved All Saints' Day to November 1. The celebration remained the same, except for minor additions. The Roman Harvest Festival was then held in honor of the goddess Pamona, the goddess of fruit and trees (the practice of bobbing for apples derived from this). They also wanted to honor the newly overpowered descendants of the Druids in Germany and Scandinavia. Therefore, All Saint's Day and Halloween became unified because of the same ties to reverencing the dead.

The combination of these customs eventually became the traditional celebration we call Halloween.

Traci Morin
Touch of God International Ministries - a Christian Healing and Deliverance Ministry - Setting the Captives Free